Several Facebook (FB) pages and netizens posted video compilations claiming to show the five passengers aboard the Titan submersible moments before it imploded on its way to the Titanic wreckage. These are false. The clips were from an earlier trip of the sub.
Circulated as early as June 25, one of the posts’ caption read:
“Full video bago sila mamatay 5 pasahrro (sic) ng titan submersible (Full video before they died 5 passengers of titan submersible) #fbreels #reelsfb #reelsviral #reels #reelsvideo #viralvideo #5tourist #electrical #submarine.”
The compilation videos show passengers inside the OceanGate Expeditions-operated Titan submersible and parts of the Titanic wreckage viewed from the vessel’s porthole window.
But the clips were from the submersible’s earlier expedition to the Titanic site in 2021, not moments before it imploded this June.
The original clips were taken by Aaron Newman, an OceanGate investor, who joined the earlier mission. These were also shown in Newman’s recent interviews about their 2021 voyage.
The first footage shows OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush orienting Newman and four other passengers aboard the submarine.
The second clip recorded the submarine’s descent from the ocean’s surface with the passengers on board.
The rest of the clips show parts of the Titanic.
The false videos were posted two days after the US Coast Guard announced that all five people aboard the Titan submersible were killed upon implosion. The passengers aboard the June 2023 expedition were Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulema, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
On June 26, the US Coast Guard reported that presumed human remains were recovered from the Titan’s wreckage.
The videos uploaded by two netizens and FB pages JEFF TV official (created on March 20, 2020) and RamFox Vlogs (created on July 25, 2019 as Ramz Funny) collectively garnered 35,957 reactions, 1,761 comments, 4,728 shares and 3,928,000 views. Other netizens also reuploaded the compilation with the wrong context.
VERA Files Fact Check earlier debunked viral audio clips claiming to be from the ill-fated submersible. (Read Viral audio clips of Titan submersible victims’ ‘final moments’ are FALSE), Another FALSE post on the Titan submersible emerges).
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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
